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Chapter 17. From Cape Horn to the Amazon

           IeventhoughtIhadaglimpseofMountSarmiento,thatrises2,070yardsabovethelevelofthesea,withaverypointedsummit,which,accordingasitismistyorclear,isasignoffineorofwetweather.Atthismomentthepeakwasclearlydefinedagainstthesky.TheNautilus,divingagainunderthewater,approachedthecoast,whichwasonlysomefewmilesoff.Fromtheglasswindowsinthedrawing-room,Isawlongseaweedsandgiganticfuciandvarech,ofwhichtheopenpolarseacontainssomanyspecimens,withtheirsharppolishedfilaments;theymeasuredabout300yardsinlengthrealcables,thickerthanone’sthumb;and,havinggreattenacity,theyareoftenusedasropesforvessels.Anotherweedknownasvelp,withleavesfourfeetlong,buriedinthecoralconcretions,hungatthebottom.Itservedasnestandfoodformyriadsofcrustaceaandmolluscs,crabs,andcuttlefish.Theresealsandottershadsplendidrepasts,eatingthefleshoffishwithsea-vegetables,accordingtotheEnglishfashion.OverthisfertileandluxuriantgroundtheNautiluspassedwithgreatrapidity.TowardseveningitapproachedtheFalklandgroup,theroughsummitsofwhichIrecognisedthefollowingday.Thedepthoftheseawasmoderate.Ontheshoresournetsbroughtinbeautifulspecimensofseaweed,andparticularlyacertainfucus,therootsofwhichwerefilledwiththebestmusselsintheworld.Geeseandducksfellbydozensontheplatform,andsoontooktheirplacesinthepantryonboard.

           WhenthelastheightsoftheFalklandshaddisappearedfromthehorizon,theNautilussanktobetweentwentyandtwenty-fiveyards,andfollowedtheAmericancoast.CaptainNemodidnotshowhimself.Untilthe3rdofAprilwedidnotquittheshoresofPatagonia,sometimesundertheocean,sometimesatthesurface.

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